This invention relates generally to paperboard containers and more particularly, it relates to an improved factory sealed packing box or container for housing a plurality of tubes. Each of the tubes is preferably used to package electronic components such as leadless chip carriers, plastic lead chip carriers, and the like containing integrated circuit devices with a varying number of lead count.
As it generally known in the art, the integrated circuit devices are susceptible to not only mechanical damage due to their physical handling during manufacturing and shipment, but also can be damaged or destroyed by electrostatic discharge (ESD). Thus, the packing box material is preferably formed of a single layer "B" corrugated board which has an inner liner to provide a conductive coating. The conductive coating serves to protect the I.C. devices against ESD. Further, in order to facilitate loading of the tubes during production, the packing box must allow for top closing. The packing box is then sealed so as to present a level of quality which customers have become accustomed to in the industry. However, for convenience of the end users or customers, the packing box must be capable of being opened at either the top or at both ends so as to permit removal of the tubes.
It is desirable that the packing container be formed from a one-piece, die-cut blank of raw material which is of relatively low cost. Further, it would be expedient that the blank be easily foldable to be set-up by hand to the assembled packing box. In the alternative, it would be desirable to have the blank capable of being automatically formed into the packing box by a conventional "tray-forming" machine and then subsequently sealed automatically after loading by a conventional "auto-case sealer" machine.